The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 19

The idea that Bai Fenghe could cry was already terrifying; the idea of her crying herself unconscious was even more bizarre. Yun Chuanzhi naturally didn’t believe it. She gave two fake laughs in response, looking down at her bamboo-leaf umbrella, which had been charred black by the lightning strike.

And Black Egg, who was crawling out from under the umbrella with a “black face.”

Of course, the “black face” was literal; the originally snow-white stone puppet was now covered in soot. It shook its body and looked at Yun Chuanzhi reproachfully in the rain.

“Forget it, it seems we won’t be enjoying the rain today.” Yun Chuanzhi wiped the water from her face.

After the thunder and lightning, the rain became so heavy it seemed boundless. The droplets were as sharp as arrows, merging heaven and earth into one. Within the rolling dark clouds, spider-web-like flashes of lightning flickered frequently, as if brewing a world-ending strike of thunder.

After bidding farewell to Cheng Jinshu, Yun Chuanzhi picked up Black Egg and sprinted back to Fengchun Pavilion. The rain pelted her head so hard it hurt; the moment she stepped under the eaves, she felt as if she had escaped a form of torture.

Several immortal servants holding umbrellas brushed past her, shouting: “Heavens, the camellias I just planted!”

“Hurry, someone, the bridge is broken!”

“The Ginseng Fruit tree in the flower garden, which only fruits once a millennium, is about to die! Someone come with me to block the rain!”

Rainwater gathered into streams on the steps. Dozens of servants in green robes ran back and forth through the water. Yun Chuanzhi had never seen so many people at Gundan Peak; the sound of the rain drowned out their voices and quickly swallowed their silhouettes.

At this moment, the downside of Gundan Peak having no cultivators became apparent. No one could use immortal arts to intercept the rain or lightning. Just then, another flash of light tore through the air, squarely hitting a three-story building constructed on a rockery.

This building was very close to the stairs in front of Fengchun Pavilion. Countless shattered stones and charred wood fell toward the servants below. Yun Chuanzhi gasped.

Fortunately, a long whip lunged out of the rain like a swimming dragon. The spiritual power it carried caused the falling debris to freeze in mid-air. A woman in white flew gracefully past with the whip. With a flick of her wrist, the stones and charred wood vanished.

“Sister Ling Shui!” the servants who were nearly hit cried out in joy.

The solemn-faced Ling Shui landed elegantly. She performed a water-repelling spell for each of them and waved them away. Then she turned and saw Yun Chuanzhi squatting under the eaves.

“What are you doing here?” Ling Shui asked coldly.

“Hiding from the rain,” Yun Chuanzhi replied, soaking wet.

Ling Shui was clearly overwhelmed. She gave a vague nod and turned to leave, but Yun Chuanzhi hurriedly called out to her: “Sister Ling Shui, where are you going?”

“To beg the Sect Master for a solution. If this thunderstorm continues, I fear it will trigger a mountain flood. The people on both sides of the Liuyuan River will suffer,” Ling Shui sighed.

“So the climate for hundreds of miles around here is truly related to the Sect Leader?” Yun Chuanzhi asked.

“Yes. However, if it were just a typical low mood, it wouldn’t come to this—at most, a few dark clouds would form. With this kind of thunderous weather, I don’t know what the Sect Leader has encountered.” Ling Shui looked worriedly toward the distant forest.

“Is the Sect Leader not in the sect?”

“No.” Ling Shui pointed toward the mountain cave where the iron puppet had taken her last time. “Up that mountain path, there is a naturally formed cliffside cave. Whenever the Sect Leader doesn’t want to see anyone, she retreats there.”

Ling Shui retracted her gaze and looked back at Yun Chuanzhi. The soaking-wet girl sat squatting, her water-bathed cheeks pale and soft, with a touch of pink spring-color from the cold, like a lotus bud that had just emerged from the water.

“In my view, the Sect Leader seems to like you quite a bit,” Ling Shui said out of the blue.

Which eye of yours saw that? Yun Chuanzhi smiled at her.

“I am going to find the Sect Master now, but she is busy with many affairs and likely won’t return for a while. Can you go check on the Sect Leader for me and find a way to make her happier?” Ling Shui took a few quick steps and squatted down to face Yun Chuanzhi.

“I won’t.” Yun Chuanzhi continued to smile.

Bai Fenghe’s mood was already this manic. If she went to find her now, wouldn’t she be rushing to her death?

“Cui Ergou!” Ling Shui slapped the ground, splashing water. Her brows were furrowed, but she couldn’t bring herself to scold the girl, because she knew Cui Ergou was completely unmoved by pressure. You could scream until your voice went hoarse and she wouldn’t get angry.

If you pushed her too hard, she would simply lie on the ground like a dried salted fish, too lazy even to flip over.

Since threats didn’t work, she could only use bribery. Ling Shui forcibly smoothed her brow and pulled a small glass gourd from her sleeve. The liquid inside glowed, as if five-colored starlight had condensed into water, flowing slowly.

“This object was given to me by my clansmen. It is the tears of the immortal beast, the Undying Bird. If an ordinary cultivator drinks a bottle, it has the effect of boosting spiritual power and strengthening the body.” Ling Shui shook the gourd, her eyes pleading.

“Go persuade the Sect Leader. If you succeed, this thing is yours.”

Yun Chuanzhi’s eyes flicked to the radiant gourd. Without the slightest hesitation, she stood up abruptly and headed into the rain without a word.

Her silhouette was soon hidden by the rain. Ling Shui slowly stood up and let out an extremely long sigh.

Not just a salted fish, but a money-grubber too.

Climbing the mountain was difficult; climbing in the rain was even harder. By the time Yun Chuanzhi found the giant tree from last time, she was covered in mud from the waist down. She stood bedraggled under the tree and performed a water-repelling spell.

The spell was familiar, but her spiritual power was insufficient, so it only achieved half the effect. The mud was gone, but the water remained.

Yun Chuanzhi had to wring the water from her skirt. Although a barrier had been set at the cave entrance, it was ineffective against her. She hunched over and slipped inside.

Outside, the rain was torrential, but the inside was dry. A fiery red crystal ball floated at the top of the cave, spinning to serve as a heater.

“Who is it!” Along with a low rebuke, several half-eaten fruit pits flew at her like a gust of wind. Yun Chuanzhi hurriedly covered her head and closed her eyes. Black Egg leaped from her sleeve and caught the pits for her.

“It’s you?” Bai Fenghe’s voice sounded muffled and hoarse, as if she hadn’t spoken in a long time. She was sitting on a beauty couch, her long hair uncombed and falling dejectedly over her shoulders.

Her usual makeup was gone, her face bare and plain. Her lips, appearing washed by rain, were a startling red.

“Get out before I take action,” she said irritably.

“Sister Ling Shui asked me to come. Everyone is very worried about you.” Yun Chuanzhi had thought of many comforting words along the way, but now she chose the most common one.

As expected, Bai Fenghe let out a sneer, her damp eyes looking to the side. “If you tell another lie, I will cut out your tongue.”

“This slave never lies. If I lie, let my whole family die.” Yun Chuanzhi raised her hand and made a small vow.

She had no parents anyway.

Bai Fenghe clearly didn’t believe her, but she didn’t speak again. Yun Chuanzhi put her hands behind her back and cautiously moved forward a few steps.

The woman lowered her eyes, showing only her profile. The tip of her shapely nose was slightly red, clearly indicating she had just been crying. Her eyelashes were as long as a butterfly’s wings; if one looked closely, tiny droplets of water hung at the tips.

She had to admit, with a face that could bring down nations, even if she was a piece of scum, it could make one’s heart soften.

Bai Fenghe was most unwilling to show weakness in front of others, let alone Yun Chuanzhi. She suppressed her erratic breathing, her tone becoming even colder: “Do you not want your life?”

“If it can relieve the Sect Leader’s worries, then so be it,” Yun Chuanzhi said with a grin. She squatted down in front of Bai Fenghe, tilting her head to look at her cheerfully. “Can the Sect Leader tell me a bit about what’s troubling your heart?”

For that bottle of Undying Bird tears, she was risking it all.

The girl’s voice was as gentle as water. For a moment, Bai Fenghe’s breathing hitched slightly. Then she straightened her back and pointed toward the edge of the hollowed-out cliff, where there was a small mound of earth.

Judging by the color of the soil, the object had just been buried. Next to the mound stood a stone marker that read: Tomb of Baituan.

Ah, that iron lump is dead? Yun Chuanzhi was stunned.

Wait, how could a puppet die?

Bai Fenghe seemed to be trying her best to restrain something. Her voice was as raspy as a snapping zither string as she said heavily, “It has been out of repair for years. Its limbs were already failing. Last night, I don’t know what went wrong, but when it woke up, it stopped moving.”

“My Master’s puppetry was the most exquisite; no one in the world can match it. I have already sought out those tool-refining sorcerers, but all was in vain.”

She seemed deeply wounded, a trace of desolation in her eyes. “Leave. I do not wish to see anyone.”

Bai Fenghe, usually arrogant and ruthless, was actually wounded to this extent over a puppet? Who would believe it if told?

Yun Chuanzhi found it somewhat funny, but naturally she didn’t dare laugh. After a silence, she spoke: “I can fix it.”

Bai Fenghe’s long lashes lifted instantly, revealing eyes reflecting the rain. The rims of her eyes slowly turned red.

She suddenly stood up, stumbling toward Yun Chuanzhi barefoot. She grabbed her collar with both hands and asked urgently, “Truly? If you lie to me, I really will take your life!”

Her wide eyes could no longer hold the tears; they rolled down from under her eyes, splashing onto her chest in a series of wet trails.

“Truly, truly.” Yun Chuanzhi, nearly lifted off the ground by her grip, nodded repeatedly. “I’ll dig it up and take a look. Don’t cry first.”

Bai Fenghe realized she had lost her composure. She slowly let go, straightened her back, and turned away, quietly wiping her tears with her sleeve.

She said fiercely, “This Sect Leader didn’t cry.”

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